XN000022-1985-03-01 — Page 9

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1985

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ECONOMICS BRANCH OFFICERS VISIT SHENZHEN

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SIX OFFICERS FROM THE ECONOMIC SERVICES BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, LED BY THE SECRETARY, MR PIERS JACOBS, LEFT THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING FOR A DAY-TOUR OF THE SHENZHEN SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE TO FAMILIARISE THEMSELVES WITH RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AREA,

THEY TRAVELLED THERE BY TRAIN AND WILL RETURN TO HONG KONG THIS AFTERNOON BY HOVERFERRY FROM SHEKOU.

WITH MR JACOBS ARE THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DIVISION, DR ALAN MCLEAN, THREE PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND AN ECONOMIST.

THE GROUP WILL BE BRIEFED ON GENERAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE ZONE BY OFFICERS OF THE SHENZHEN FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICE, WILL TOUR THE SHEKOU INDUSTRIAL ZONE AND WILL VISIT THE OIL AND HELICOPTER BASE, ALSO IN THE SHEKOU REGION.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY'S FAMILIARISATION VISIT WOULD BE FOLLOWED UP BY ANOTHER GROUP, TO BE LED BY THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE ECONOMIC SERVICES DIVISION, MR GERRY HIGGINSON, IN ABOUT A WEEK.

REFUGEE CAMP COMES INTO USE

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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TODAY (FRIDAY) OPENED A NEW REFUGEE CLOSED CENTRE IN TUEN MUN TO RELIEVE OVERCROWDING IN EXISTING CLOSED CENTRES.

THE BOWRING CLOSED CENTRE, WHICH HAS A SITE AREA OF 1.43 HECTARES AND WHICH COST THE GOVERNMENT $10 MILLION TO BUILD, WAS CONVERTED FROM AN EX-ARMY CAMP.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE CENTRE CAN ACCOMMODATE UP TO 1 400 PERSONS. HOWEVER, ONLY 1 100 REFUGEES, SELECTED FROM BOTH CAPE COLLINSON AND CHI MA WAN CLOSED CENTRES, WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW CENTRE.

THIS INITIAL INTAKE WILL COMPRISE MAINLY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, SINGLE FEMALES AND UNACCOMPANIED MINORS, ALL OF WHOM HAVE ESTABLISHED A GOOD RECORD OF DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIOUR IN CLOSED CENTRES.

THE ENTIRE CENTRE IS ENCLOSED BY A DOUBLE PERIMETER FENCE AND IS VERY SECURE.

/THE CENTRE